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Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

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Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#101

Post by dave1619 »

rriepe wrote: post #4

Fail, fail, fail until you succeed; I really like Google's resolve when it comes to breaking into social networking. I guess I also like any serious challenge to Facebook. Can't wait for the details.

Don't know if Google really gets social. You really need an addictive core product that people are dying to spend hours and hours on. Can Google really make a social networking product that goes viral with teens and college students (and then others)? I wouldn't bet on Google developing a social hit internally. I think their best bet might be acquisition of something that's already taking off, like FourSquare of Instagram. They can then iterate from there and try to take on Facebook from another angle. Maybe I'm just still disappointed from Google Buzz.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#102

Post by pbhjpbhj »

WalterGR wrote: post #92
kj12345 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the name "Circles" is awesome. It's agressive and appealing when seen from the perspective of "what do you offer that's better than Facebook", but also generically pleasant if you just encountered it as a product.

Yes, the name "Circles" is awesome. Yup. Circles was also the name of social groups in Microsoft's threedegrees software.

WRT to the sibling post I'd be inclined to think that circles being such a common synonym/abbreviation for "social circles" that it lacks sufficient distinctiveness to indicate the origin of a product related to social networking.

If they wanted an RTM then they should have gone for a misspelling.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#104

Post by wtn »

dave1619 wrote: post #101
rriepe wrote: post #4

Fail, fail, fail until you succeed; I really like Google's resolve when it comes to breaking into social networking. I guess I also like any serious challenge to Facebook. Can't wait for the details.

Don't know if Google really gets social. You really need an addictive core product that people are dying to spend hours and hours on. Can Google really make a social networking product that goes viral with teens and college students (and then others)? I wouldn't bet on Google developing a social hit internally. I think their best bet might be acquisition of something that's already taking off, like FourSquare of Inst…

It's amazing that they can't succeed despite their foothold. Everyone in my age group whom I know uses Gmail and uses chat on the Google Talk network. Almost no one uses Google Reader or Google Buzz.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#105

Post by rick888 »

michaelchisari wrote: post #97
rick888 wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may seem easy to you, but it needs to be brain-dead easy for the average user or they won't even waste their time on it. Is there one site people can go to like Facebook and signup? There also needs to be a compelling reason to switch.

it needs to be brain-dead easy for the average user or they won't even waste their time on it. A good chunk of the test users are average users, they're friends and family that I've roped into testing for me. I've been using their feedback to improve the software. I'm doing a lot of work on the UI/UX in order to "train" users for the conventions of distributed social networking. Obvious things like tutorials and FAQ'…

"For now, no, it's still being developed. There will be many sites, some catering to niche audiences"

This is the same problem I've seen with other open source projects (and even Linux). There are just too many choices and people don't know what site to use, so they just use something else.

Appleseed could work if it became a platform, like email, where ISPS give you a page (and anybody could host their own), and they are somehow all connected together, but that would probably take many years.

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#107

Post by zwadia »

For the record, Paul Adams' work on "loops" had a profound impact on why we felt SecretSocial would be relevant.

No doubt his departure to Facebook slowed Google's product dev down, but looks like Messina and Co. and revving up the engine again.

@SecretSocial is basically on-demand loops for topic-centric conversations that last only as long as you need them to. Then they go poof

http://shh.sh

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#108

Post by movingahead »

dave1619 wrote: post #101
rriepe wrote: post #4

Fail, fail, fail until you succeed; I really like Google's resolve when it comes to breaking into social networking. I guess I also like any serious challenge to Facebook. Can't wait for the details.

Don't know if Google really gets social. You really need an addictive core product that people are dying to spend hours and hours on. Can Google really make a social networking product that goes viral with teens and college students (and then others)? I wouldn't bet on Google developing a social hit internally. I think their best bet might be acquisition of something that's already taking off, like FourSquare of Inst…

Interesting that you say that because Google did buy Dodgeball, but then didn't support it. Dodgeball founder Dennis Crowley left Google with a lot of bad feelings and went on to start Foursquare. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dpstyles/460987802/

Re: Google to Launch Major New Social Network Called Circles, Possibly Today

#109

Post by Lost_BiomedE »

Vic-nyc wrote: post #56

That is exactly what I needed in my life...another social network! I had a feeling something was missing and now it's obvious that it's the lack of enough online 'social networks'..

Oddly enough, I am still looking for one that will work for me. I bet there are others out there who fill the same.

I do wish that companies did not try and recreate myspace, facebook, etc. I would rather them build the next thing and allow the internet to catch up to the concept.

Internet identity is getting more important. The average user is now just getting a whiff of the value in having a your own web footprint and what that entails.

I want to see a social site with a mullet...business in the front, party in the back.

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